Shane Watson

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Shane Watson Australia (Aus)

Batting style	Right-hand bat
Bowling type	Right-arm fast-medium
	Tests	ODIs
Matches	3	52
Runs scored	81	734
Batting average	20.25	30.58
100s/50s	-/-	-/5
Top score	31	79
Balls bowled	186	2086
Wickets	2	52
Bowling average	61.50	31.28
5 wickets in innings	-	-
10 wickets in match	-	N/A
Best bowling	1/25	4/39
Catches/stumpings	-/-	13/-
As of 6 November 2006 Source: Cricinfo.com

Shane Robert Watson (born 17 June 1981 in Ipswich, Queensland) is an Australian cricketer. He debuted for the Australian cricket team in 2002, playing his first one-day international against South Africa. While he has become a regular member of the one-day squad, Watson has played few Test Matches for Australia, having debuted against Pakistan at the Sydney Cricket Ground in January 2005.

Watson started his first-class cricketing career for Tasmanian Tigers after leaving his home state of Queensland, but returned home to play for the Queensland Bulls as his international career was beginning. He has also played for Hampshire in the English County Championship. He regards Terry Alderman as one of his mentors.

His career has been marred by untimely injury. After breaking into the one-day team as a regular in 2002, he was injured, with three stress fractures in his back, at the start of 2003, missing the 2003 World Cup. Again in 2005, he was drafted into the Test team with the intention of becoming the designated allrounder, but he dislocated his shoulder in just his second Test in that designated role, after diving to field a ball.

He was reselected into the one day squad for the 2006 tour of South Africa but was dropped when all-rounder Andrew Symonds returned from injury. Watson was looking to establish a place in the Test side when he got injured, and Andrew Symonds stepped in to fill the gap.

Watson opened the batting for Australia at the 2006 Champions Trophy, alongside wicket-keeper Adam Gilchrist, instead of Simon Katich. In the competition he impressed with both the ball and bat, as Australia moved to their first Champions Trophy victory. Critics and even captain Ricky Ponting cited his better strike rate and the ability to bowl as the reasons why he was selected ahead of Katich. After failing in the first two matches against the West Indies and England, Watson made a 50 in Australia's victory over India, which sealed their place in the semi-finals.

In terms of Watson's future Test prospects, Ponting suggested that he will bat at the pivotal number 6 position in the Ashes series against England, starting on November 23, 2006, ahead of other contenders like Andrew Symonds, Simon Katich and Michael Clarke. However, in a cruel setback for the talented all-rounder's hopes of flying the flag for Australia, he came off the ground in a one-day domestic game the week before the first Test with a suspected hamstring tear, which ruled Watson out for at least the first, second, and third Tests, thus continuing his terrible luck. Michael Clarke was called up in Watson's place, and responded with a useful innings, gaining 56 runs off 94 balls.

Watson is expected to be fit for the fourth Test on Boxing Day and the MCG in Melbourne, and because of Damien Martyn's unexpected retirement, it now looks very likely that Watson will be included in the side, with Michael Clarke moving up the order to accomodate Watson at number 6.

Watson is seen by some Australian fans and experts as potentially playing the same role that Andrew Flintoff does in the English Test team, though Watson has a long way to go before justifying any comparisons with Flintoff, who is widely regarded as one of the the best all-rounders in world cricket. If Watson can have an extended run in the team, without being hampered by injury, most critics believe he will prove to be a key player, adding balance to the side.

[edit] External links

	Australia squad - 2003 Cricket World Cup
1 Ponting \| 2 Gilchrist \| 3 Bevan \| 4 Bichel \| 5 Bracken \| 6 Gillespie \| 7 Harvey \| 8 Hauritz \| 9 Hayden \| 10 Hogg \| 11 Lee \| 12 Lehmann \| 13 Maher \| 14 Martyn \| 15 McGrath \| 16 Symonds \| 17 Warne \| 18 Watson \| Coach: Buchanan